Skins
A skin in golf is a prize, usually a sum of money, awarded to the player with the outright lowest score on a single hole. In the wider skins game format, each hole carries its own value, and ties roll the prize forward to the next hole until someone wins one outright.
What is a skin in golf?
The word “skin” gets used two ways on a golf course, and it helps to separate them. A skin is the unit, the prize attached to a single hole. The skins game is the format that strings 18 of those units together into a full round.
In a skins game, every hole is treated as its own short contest. Players agree on what each hole is worth before they tee off, and the golfer who posts the outright lowest score on that hole wins the skin. Ties pay no one. The result is a format that rewards hot stretches of golf rather than steady scoring, which is why it tends to make every hole feel meaningful in a way stroke play does not.
The format is most often played with three or four golfers, though anywhere from two to eight can work. Each player plays their own ball throughout the round, so it sits closer to stroke play in feel than the head-to-head structure of match play.
How a skins game works
Before the round, the group decides on three things: how much each skin is worth (a dollar, five dollars, a point, a token, anything the group agrees on), whether scores will be played gross or net, and what happens when a hole is tied.
Once play starts, each golfer plays their own ball through the hole as normal. After everyone holes out, the scores are compared. If one player has a score lower than everyone else, that player wins the skin. If two or more players tie for the low score, no skin is awarded for that hole.
At the end of 18 holes, whoever has won the most skins (or the most money, if values vary by hole) is the winner. During a full round of 18 holes, there are 18 skins available, though carryovers can mean fewer holes actually pay out.
How carryovers work
This is the part that turns skins from a simple hole-by-hole bet into something with real drama. When a hole is tied, the unclaimed skin does not disappear. It rolls forward to the next hole, where it joins that hole’s skin in a single pot. If the next hole also ties, both skins carry over again. A long string of ties can stack four, five, or even more skins onto a single hole.
A short worked example with three players, $1 per skin, shows what that looks like:
| Hole | Result | Skin value | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Player A scores lowest | $3 | A wins $3 |
| 2 | Players A and B tie | $3 | Carries over |
| 3 | Players A and B tie again | $6 ($3 + $3) | Carries over |
| 4 | Player C scores lowest | $9 ($3 + $3 + $3) | C wins $9 |
That hole 4 is the moment that makes the game what it is. A player who had been out of the picture for three holes suddenly takes home three holes’ worth of skins on a single shot.
Skins vs match play vs stroke play
Most people who ask about skins are also trying to figure out how it differs from the two formats they already know. The table below sets them side by side.
| Format | Unit of scoring | What ties do | Who wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stroke play | Total strokes for 18 holes | No bearing on individual holes | Lowest total over the round |
| Match play | Holes won and lost between two sides | Hole is “halved” (neither side wins it) | Side leading by more holes than remain |
| Skins | Skins won (one per hole, outright) | Skin carries over to the next hole | Player with the most skins at the end |
The clearest way to think about it: stroke play asks who shot the best round. Match play measures one side against another, hole by hole. Skins flips it again, with every hole carrying its own prize and only outright wins counting.
Gross skins vs net skins
Skins can be played in two scoring modes. Gross skins uses the raw score, with no handicap adjustment, so the lowest-handicap player has the natural advantage. Net skins applies handicap strokes to the scorecard before comparing scores, which gives higher-handicap players a fair shot. Net skins compares the handicaps of the golfers in the group and uses the difference between each handicap and the lowest of the group; that difference equals how many holes that player will have a stroke over the golfer with the best handicap, applied to the holes with the lowest stroke index on the scorecard.
For mixed-skill groups, net skins keeps the game competitive. For groups of similar handicaps, gross skins is simpler to track.
Common variations
House-rule twists on the basic format are common. The most common ones:
| Variation | How it changes the game |
|---|---|
| No-carry-over skins | Tied skins are lost entirely instead of rolling forward. Reduces volatility. |
| Progressive skins | Skins on later holes are worth more (e.g. front nine $1, back nine $2). Keeps the round live. |
| Modified skins | Birdies are worth two skins, eagles three; double bogeys cost a skin. Rewards aggressive play. |
| Whole-round skins | Used for tournaments with multiple groups; all entry money goes into one pot and is divided after the round by total skins won. |
Any variation works as long as everyone in the group agrees to the rules before the first tee shot.
Why is it called a “skins” game?
The origin is not settled, and several theories circulate among golf historians.
The USGA’s golf history FAQ notes that “skins” as a format has been around for decades but only became popular after the creation of The Skins Game in the 1980s, and that in other parts of the country the same game has been known as “cats,” “scats,” “skats,” or “syndicates,” with “syndicates” appearing to be the oldest term, going back at least to the 1950s. One reading is that “skins” is simply a shortened, easier-to-say version of “syndicates.”
A second theory traces the word to gambling slang. In mid-20th-century American gambling circles, “skin” was slang for a dollar bill or a small wager, and golfers borrowed the term when they began betting hole by hole. A third points further back to Scottish traders and hunters who used animal pelts, or “skins,” as units of value when they wagered on early rounds.
The format hit the mainstream in 1983 with the debut of the PGA Tour Skins Game. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus made up half of that inaugural four-man field. Gary Player and Tom Watson rounded it out. The event ran as an unofficial PGA Tour event through 2008, with later holes carrying progressively bigger prizes. At the 2008 event, holes 1–6 paid $25,000 each, holes 7–12 paid $50,000, holes 13–17 paid $70,000, and the 18th was worth $200,000. Fred Couples earned the nickname “Mr. Skins” by winning the event five times and pocketing more than $4 million across 11 appearances.
Related Golf Terms
- Single digit handicap — A golfer with a handicap index between 1 and 9.
- Sidespin — Lateral spin that causes the ball to curve left or right in flight.
- Short iron — Irons numbered 7-9 used for shorter approach shots.
- Signature hole — The most memorable or photographed hole on a golf course.
- Sidehill lie — When the ball is on a slope with the ball above or below the player’s feet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players can play a skins game?
Two to eight, typically, with three or four being the sweet spot. With two players, it plays almost like a hole-by-hole stroke play match. With five or more, ties become common, and outright wins get rare.
Is skins the same as match play?
No. Match play is contested between two sides, and the result is decided by how many holes one side is ahead. Skins is played individually (usually), every hole has a separate prize, and ties carry the prize forward rather than halving the hole.
What happens if the final hole is tied with carried-over skins on it?
The group decides this in advance. Common options are a sudden-death playoff on extra holes, splitting the unclaimed skins equally among tied players, or simply leaving them unclaimed.
Can beginners play in a skins game?
Yes. Net skins, which use handicap strokes, are designed for exactly this. A beginner with a high handicap can win a hole outright on a stroke-allowance hole even with a higher gross score than a low-handicap opponent.
Is The Skins Game still played on the PGA Tour?
Not as a regular event. The original PGA Tour Skins Game ran from 1983 to 2008. The format has since appeared in one-off exhibitions and charity matches, with a televised revival staged in November 2025 at Panther National in Florida.
Sources
- USGA. “Golf History Questions and Answers.” Accessed May 2026.
- Wikipedia. “Skins game.” Accessed May 2026.
- Piastowski, Nick. “What is a ‘skin’? A search to learn why term is used for the Skins Game.” Golf.com, 27 November 2025.
- Easdale, Roderick. “What Is Skins In Golf?” Golf Monthly, 15 October 2024.
- Coyne, Gabe. “How to Play Skins in Golf.” Stix Golf, 6 November 2025.
- “Skins Golf: How to Play a Golf Skins Game.” Golf Distillery. Accessed May 2026.
- Society of Golf Historians (Connor Lewis), 25 November 2025 statement on the origin of the term “skin” in golf.
